Barmedman M̶i̶r̶a̶c̶l̶e̶ Mineral Pool Barmedman, New South Wales, Australia
By C○3 ♀ Ɛ○<<○3 on 14-Dec-21. Waypoint GA25590

The Barmedman Pool first started out as an underground stream. Gold mining operations in the area struck this stream in the 1880s and began to fill the mines. Insistent on continuing mining, they tried to pump the water out for years. They eventually gave in to the water, abandoned the mines here and let them fill with water. The pool wasn't declared a public swimming spot until it's official opening in 1951.

When I was here I spoke with a local woman who had been coming here for over 60 years. She told me it origianlly had a clay base and was filled all year round. Now it has a very slippery cement base and is only open for swimming between October and April.  The pool itself is 48m x 57m in size possibly making it one of the largest spring fed pools in the world.

The water in the pool is still sourced from the underground stream and has a high mineral content that many locals claim has therapeutic properties and heals aches and pains. Kind of like a giant Epsom Salt bath. It is easy to float in and at the time of my visit was nice and warm. If I had more time I could have stayed floating there for ages watching the clouds drift by.

There is a shady separately fenced picnic area, toilets and showers, a kiosk open on busy days, and even a little library in a fridge outside the toilet block. It also has unpowered camping on either side of the pool. Cost for pool entry is $1 donation, or $10 for the full year (although it is closed for half of it). Camping is $10 per night and there are plenty of flat sites and a few shaded spots, and it is set a short distance off the highway.

You will need to wander or drive through the camping area to get to this cache. There is also a chance that you may need to wade to the cache in times of flooding rains.

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